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Aug. 22, 2015 – Allegheny College welcomed the Class of 2019 and their families at today’s matriculation ceremony in Raymond P. Shafer Auditorium.

New students represent 387 high schools in 33 states and 7 countries in addition to the U.S.: Albania, China, India, Jordan, Nepal, Pakistan and South Korea. The class is the most diverse in the college’s history, with 25 percent of incoming students identifying as students of color. The top five states from which enrolled students originate are Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio, California and Florida.

Sixty-six percent of the incoming class graduated in the top 25 percent of their high school classes, and 25 percent graduated in the top 5 percent. Sixty percent participated in some form of civic engagement in high school, and 47 percent served in a leadership capacity.

President James H. Mullen Jr. addressed the class.

“You join us from across the nation and from around the world,” he said. “You are now part of an institution whose own history has traced the arc of American history. You are part of an academic tradition set to the ideal of access for young men and women of all backgrounds and circumstances. And you are part of a tradition that has transformed lives and prepared leaders in all walks of life for 200 years.”

This year’s class fully illustrates the college’s reputation for encouraging students to explore their “unusual combinations” of interests, skills and talents. The class includes a basketball standout who plays the violin and works as a hospital volunteer, an opera buff who runs cross country, and a hip-hop dancer who also fences and participates in mock trial.

A traditional part of the matriculation ceremony is the students’ pledge to adhere to the Allegheny honor code, which was initiated and developed by students more than 50 years ago. It is still voted upon by the student body every three years to ensure that each class has an opportunity to pledge their commitment to the honor code.

The Class of 2019 is the first class that will benefit for all four years of their time at Allegheny from the services of the Allegheny Gateway, a central location for study and collaboration in which students can access the resources they need to thrive at Allegheny and in their lives after college.

Opened earlier this year in Allegheny’s Academic Commons, the Allegheny Gateway provides opportunities for students to study, live and work abroad; encounter diverse people and viewpoints; get involved in defining and addressing real-world problems and challenges; engage in collaborative projects with other students, faculty, staff, alumni and community partners; and articulate how their Allegheny experiences have prepared them for careers and graduate/professional studies after they leave college.